Secrecy rules carry court to 'black hole'

The Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to limit Oklahomans' access to court records on the Internet has earned the panel FOI Oklahoma's inaugural Black Hole Award, it was announced Monday during a ceremony at the state Capitol.

The justices received the award for roadblocking freedom of information by establishing new rules addressing content on the Internet. When the rules go into effect June 10, online access to court documents in the Supreme Court and district courts will be limited to court dockets only.

Besides eliminating Internet access, the order puts new restrictions on what information the public can access from legal documents filed with court clerks.

Justice Yvonne Kauger did not vote with the majority, and said, "The court made this decision with input only from the court clerks. Others directly affected by the decision — the bar, the bench, the Legislature, the public — were not consulted.”

Honorable mentions for the Black Hole Award went to the city of Mannford for efforts to frustrate freedom of information, the Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University and the A&M Colleges, and former House Speaker Lance Cargill.

Blackstock, the former head of the Oklahoma Press Association, won the award named in his honor for his years of service in the Legislature and throughout the state to promote the idea of open government and the free flow of information.